The Flying Grayson
by YJTuttle
Summary: When the team is sent to investigate an unusual energy reading, they discover an alternate version of Dick Grayson.
1. The Mission

Hello all!

A few months ago, I discovered this awesome new cartoon, Young Justice, and now I'm obsessed! This is one of the first YJ fics I've written. It was posted at LiveJournal but I want to expand on it, so I figured the best place for that was here! Anyone who has read it there, I've edited it slightly- mostly just grammar. I probably didn't catch all the mistakes, but every little bit counts, I always say.

Anywho, I won't drag out the introductions. On with the show!

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><p>Mount Justice<br>21:32

"Less than an hour ago, sensors picked up an unusual energy signature originating from Metropolis."

The image on the holo-screen changed from Batman to a map of Metropolis. A red dot flashed over what looked like a large park area. A moment later, Batman reappeared, the map shrinking and moving to the top corner of the screen.

"The energy appears-"

"Metropolis is Superman's city," Superboy protested, a bitter tone coating his words. "Why isn't he looking into it?"

Batman seemed unfazed by the clone's harsh voice. "Superman is off-world," he explained flatly before continuing as if uninterrupted. "The energy appears to have some sort of magical properties-"

"Magical?" Wally snorted from beside Robin. Robin winced slightly at the second interruption to Batman's instructions. That would not make him happy.

"Can't Zatara go an investigate it?" M'gann said innocently. "If it is magic, he would know more about it than we would."

Again, Batman's expression didn't change, but Robin could tell he was getting a little annoyed.

"Zatara is… unable to go," Batman said. Robin knew from the tone in the Bat's voice that 'unable' really meant 'unwilling'. The Justice League's magician was still sore about the younger team 'kidnapping' his daughter. He was probably still chewing out Zatanna and giving the League the cold shoulder.

"You are to go and investigate the energy's point of origin and the surrounding area," Batman continued, his voice just a little colder than before as if he were daring any of them to interrupt again.

"And if we find something?" Kaldur asked seriously.

"I trust you to handle it," was the only reply they received before the screen went blank. Robin couldn't help but grin at that. Trust. There were very few people Batman trusted and for him to use the word with them meant something.

Artemis, however, didn't seem too impressed. "Does anyone else get the feeling that we're still in the doghouse for something? I mean, really? Going to investigate an energy reading? If it were something big, we would've heard about it by now, or the Justice League would've handled it. It's probably just some blip on the Watchtower's monitors."

"Or it could be the beginning of an inter-dimensional sneak attack," Wally countered.

"Either way, it is our mission to look into it," Kaldur said. "Let's move out."

The team fell in step behind their leader as they made their way to the bio-ship.

"You guys going on a mission?" They all stopped as Captain Marvel flew up behind them. "Do you need help?"

Wally groaned quietly while Artemis rolled her eyes.

It was Kaldur who finally turned, motioning the others to continue on. "Thank-you, Captain. But I believe that we are capable of doing this ourselves. In fact, I do not think it will be very interesting at all."

"Well, okay. But if you change your mind, just call and I'll be there faster than Mercury."

Kaldur's lips twitched as he nodded. "Again, thank-you." And with that, he turned on his heel to join the others in the bio-ship.

"Ugh. He's like an annoying little brother," Artemis muttered as the ship took off.

Robin couldn't help but smirk. Thanks to his hacking skills and Batman's compulsion to know everything about everyone, he knew just how true that analogy was.

Behind them, M'gann laughed. "I can see that. I have two little brothers and they always want to do everything us older kids do. I remember this one time my sisters and I went for a walk and we told them they couldn't come. We were gone for an hour before we looked back and saw them both trailing about two blocks behind us trying to keep up." She smiled softly. "It was so sweet of them, I just couldn't be mad. In fact, I just felt guilty for not including them in the first place."

Artemis arched an eyebrow. "Are you trying to guilt-trip us into taking Captain Marvel with us next time?"

M'gann shook her head with a giggle. "No. I just think we should be happy that we have this little family of ours."

"Such as it is," Kaldur said with a wry smile.

There was a moment of silence before M'gann continued. "Hello M'gann! Here I am going on and on about my family and I don't even know anything about all of yours."

The temperature in the ship seemed to drop several degrees as the members of the team shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Artemis crossed her arms over her chest and stared resolutely out the window. Kaldur suddenly found his own tattoos very interesting while Superboy looked like he was trying to light something on fire with his eyes.

"My Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris are way cool," Wally said a little too cheerfully, as if trying to lighten to mood that had fallen on his team mates. "I don't even know how Aunt Iris manages to feed two speedsters, but she does. The woman deserves a medal."

Artemis snorted. "No kidding. I know you'll say it's not scientifically possible, but I bet you have a black hole in your stomach."

"My king and queen are to have a child," Kaldur piped in after a moment. "I hope I can be considered a sort of uncle to him."

The team continued to talk, each trying to bring back a bit of humour as they moved to a different topic. Even Conner tried to join in once the conversation strayed from families, obviously trying to keep M'gann from feeling guilty over hurting anyone's feelings.

Robin, however, kept his gaze to the window, his stomach cold and heavy.

He was lucky. He knew that. He had a great team, which as M'gann had pointed out, was like a family. A really great group of brothers and sisters. And he had Bruce and Alfred. Bruce was a bit of a moron when it came to showing affection, but he managed in his own weird, Batman-like way.

He loved them all. A lot. And they loved him back. But sometimes all that just didn't soothe the aching he felt when he tried to remember exactly what his parents had looked like and all he could see was a fuzzy outline. It didn't help when he tried to remember his mother's voice and all he could hear was a garbled, distorted version of her soft lilting tones.

"Ew! Don't touch me. I'll get ginger-vitis!" he heard Artemis snap.

"What the- ginger-vitis? Are you serious?" Wally hollered. "Whatever! Everyone just wishes they were a redhead. Right, Gorgeous?" he grinned, sending a wink towards M'gann. The Martian just giggled awkwardly while Artemis rolled her eyes.

Robin smiled softly. "My mother was a ginger," he said, too quiet for anyone to hear.


	2. The Visitor

"All right then. Big empty field. Definitely something sinister going on here," Wally announced sarcastically as they stepped off the bio-ship. Spreading his arms out, he turned to face the team. "Guys, I'm seeing a whole lot of nothing here. Are you sure these are the co-ordinates?"

M'gann nodded. "I'm positive."

"What is this place anyway?" Wally asked.

"Looks like fair grounds," Robin supplied as he walked past Wally, tapping away at the computer on his wrist. "I'm getting a faint residual energy trail coming from over there," he said, pointing ahead of them.

Wally zoomed over to the spot and, finding nothing, circled the area. "Still seeing zip," he announced as he ran back.

"Perhaps if there is someone behind this, they have moved into the trees," Kaldur suggested as he pointed to the forest surrounding the field.

"Or no one is behind it and this has all been just a wild goose chase," Artemis grumbled but took out her bow anyway.

"Enough. This is a mission like any other and we will treat it as such. Now, let's fan out and search the area. Be careful. We are not yet certain what we may be dealing with," Kaldur ordered.

"Yeah, yeah," Wally said and like a flash, he zipped away from the group and into the trees. He wasn't being reckless or anything, he just didn't see anything to be concerned over. Besides, magic. Really? There was no such thing as magic; it was all just science that no one could explain- yet. Eventually, maybe a hundred years down the road, maybe next week, someone would discover some sort of logical, science-based explanation for everything people currently blamed on 'magic'.

Shaking his head, Wally came to a stop and leaned up against a tree. "Time for a little snack break," he announced to himself as he pulled out an energy bar from his wrist compartment.

"Kid Flash?"

He should've been use to being snuck up on, what with having a ninja for a best friend, but the voice above him caught him completely by surprise. Dropping his bar, Wally jumped up and whirled around. "Who's there? Where are you?" he called, shifting into a fighting stance.

"Up here," the voice called. Wally looked up to see a young boy sitting on the limb of a tree, his features hidden by shadows. "You are Kid Flash, aren't you? I saw you once when I was in Central City."

Wally puffed out his chest and rested his hands on his hips. "Yup, that's me. Hey, why don't you come down from there?"

The kid hesitated but then nodded. Grabbing the branch above him, the kid swung out and proceeded to do a series of flips and twists that made Wally's jaw drop. Seriously, the kid made Robin look about as graceful as a duck with one leg.

Landing gracefully on his toes, the kid threw his hands up as if expecting applause. Wally was too stunned to oblige though, causing the kid to simply shrug and drop his hands.

Wally took a moment to assess the kid in front of him. He was young, maybe twelve, with a lean, muscular frame, jet black hair and bright blue eyes. Obviously a gymnast of some sort, judging from the moves and the green tights he wore. A gold 'G' stood out against the green. Maybe he was a new sidekick they hadn't met yet.

"Who are you?" Wally asked finally.

The kid arched an eyebrow before smirking. "Dick Grayson. You know, like the Flying Graysons." Wally tried to look impressed, but the name really didn't mean anything to him. "You must've heard of us," the kid continued sceptically.

"Sorry, can't say I have," the speedster apologized. "Are you part of the Justice League?" Maybe this kid really was a sidekick. Wally hadn't met everyone on the League after all.

The kid, Dick, gave him a funny look before shaking his head. "Never mind. I have a feeling I'm not in Kansas anymore anyway. An hour ago, I was in the middle of a performance in Metropolis, the next, I'm in an empty field where the circus was."

"The good news is that you're still in Metropolis," Wally supplied helpfully. "But I haven't heard of there being a circus in town. Not that I would really know, Metropolis isn't really my usual stomping grounds."

"Yeah, what are you doing here?" Dick asked.

Wally shrugged. "My team and I are investigating some weird energy signature. But the only thing we've, or I've, found so for is you. I don't suppose you would have any idea about what- oh." The energy signature- it was probably linked to Dick's disappearing circus.

Dick's eyes suddenly grew wide as if he were reaching the same conclusion. "Margali! I bet she's behind this. She said she would get even but-"

"Whoa, whoa, wait." Wally shook his head and held his hands up. "Who's Margali?"

Dick sighed and seemed to deflate. "It's a long story. Maybe we should just wait for The Flash to get here before I get into it."

"The Flash isn't here. But my team is. You can explain everything to them and we can figure out what's going on. M'gann?" He said aloud and in his head.

Right here, Wally. Where are you? Have you found anything?

M'gann's voice replied in his head.

_Yeah, I found something- or should I say someone._

_Who? Are you all right?_ Kaldur's voice popped into his head. _Do you require assistance?_

_Nope, got it under control. It's just some kid. Said he was performing in a circus when all of a sudden, he wound up here. Wanna bet that has something to do with the energy signature?_

_Regroup. Perhaps he can shed some light on the situation,_ Kaldur ordered.

"Ummm… Kid Flash, are you… talking to someone?" Dick asked hesitantly and it took a moment for Wally to realize that his hands were moving in sync with his psychic conversation.

He grinned and ducked his head sheepishly. "Yeah. My team mates and I have a psychic link we use to communicate."

"Team mates? As in more than just The Flash?" Dick asked, and Wally noted to soft, lilting accent that dusted his words.

"It's a long story," Wally said, using Dick's earlier statement. "Come on, you're going for a ride." Without waiting for Dick to acknowledge, Wally grabbed the kid, threw him over his shoulder, and dashed off.

The team was gathered in the center of the field, waiting for him. Robin was still tapping away on his computer, gathering data on the energy signature. He barely looked up and quirked an eyebrow at Wally and his 'passenger' before returning to his work. Kaldur has his arms folded across his chest, waiting for some explanation.

"Way to run off, Kid Idiot," Artemis snarked.

"At least I found something," Wally said coolly, pointing to Dick.

Dick grunted with annoyance. "You mean someone. Put me down!"

"Oh, yeah, sorry." Wally let Dick slide off his shoulder. The kid straightened and turned to face the rest of the team. "Guys, this is-"

"Dick Grayson?" Artemis cried in disbelief. Wally took a step back at the outburst, but Dick just puffed out his chest, soaking in the attention. Out of the corner of his eye, Wally saw Robin straighten and look up in disbelief. The hacker went several shades paler as if he has seen a ghost.

"You know him?" Superboy asked, glancing between Artemis and Dick warily.

Artemis sputtered and squirmed. "Well, I.. He…" _He goes to my school, okay!_ she finally snapped through their mental link. _But he can't know that! And what is he wearing? Dick is an egghead, not some superhero wannabe!_

"He said he was a circus performer," Wally explained aloud, conscious of the fact that Dick was giving them a strange look. "But in the middle of his performance, the circus just disappeared and he ended up here."

"Perhaps that explains the energy signature. What do you remember, Dick?" Kaldur asked calmly.

Dick shrugged and flipped back, landing on his hands. "Not much," he said as he walked forward and back on his hands. "But I think this has something to do with Margali. She's the circus' magician, or sorceress as she calls herself. Couple of weeks ago when we were in Central City, my dad caught her hypnotizing people into giving her their money. Pop Haley kicked her out and she said she would get even." He tumbled back onto his feet, a look of horror crossing his features as what he had just said seemed to sink in. "She must've made the whole circus disappear. But where did it go? My folks, they-"

"It'll be all right, Dick," M'gann soothed. "We'll find them." She gently rested her hand on his shoulder and he seemed to relax slightly.

Wally, however, was hung up on one point of Dick's story. "Wait a second. There was no circus in Central City a few weeks ago. In fact, there hasn't been anything like that for a few months. Not since the State Fair and there were no 'Flying Graysons' there."

Dick looked surprised and was about to protest when Robin cut him off, his voice cold. "That's because they don't exist."

The others turned to their youngest member, waiting for an explanation. Wally saw M'gann shudder and step back. "What do you mean, they don't exist?" Dick demanded. "Of course they exist. I exist! Less than an hour-"

"They don't exist _here_," Robin interrupted, his voice colder than Wally had ever heard it. Most people thought Batman was the scariest partner in the Dynamic Duo, but right now, Robin was giving the Bat a run for his money. Wally felt a shiver run up his spine. "You-" he said, pointing to Dick- "are from a different dimension."

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><p>Just to let y'all know, the story is complete. But it's late and I'm going to sleep. More chapters will be posted tomorrow.<p> 


	3. A Plan for Sanity

This chapter is REALLY short. But any jaunt into Robin's head and emotions is good.

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><p>Anger very quickly overtook any shock Robin felt at seeing this alternate version of himself. It swept over him so quickly that he barely had time to process it, and before he could think about it, his harsh words had left his mouth, leaving his team mates momentarily stunned. M'gann was practically vibrating with fear, probably sensing the anger rolling off him in waves.<p>

Great. He needed to get a handle on his emotions before he gave too much away. It wouldn't be easy. This Dick Grayson was everything that he should've been. This Dick Grayson had everything he wanted, needed. This Dick Grayson had been performing in the big top with his parents a mere hour ago, probably soaking in the spotlight, doing death-defying stunts as the crowd cheered on. This Dick Grayson had probably woken up this morning to the sound of his parents teasing each other in the kitchen area of their very small trailer.

This Dick Grayson had no idea what it was like to see his parents crumple into the ground like broken dolls.

Robin growled to himself and clenched a fist. He had to stop thinking about this. Now. He could dwell on how unfair this was later when he was alone.

Dick was the one to finally break the silence. "What do you mean, an alternate dimension?"

"I mean that somehow you've been sent here, to a reality unlike your own," he explained, trying to keep his voice even. He cleared his throat, regaining some of his composure, before tapping on his wrist to bring up the holo-screen of his computer. "I took the data from the energy readings we were picking up here and ran them through the Justice League database. There are some distinct similarities between these and some others that have involved cross-dimensional mishaps. Couple that with the fact you're not the Richard Grayson that some of us are familiar with," he added, nodding to Artemis.

"Definitely not the Richard Grayson I'm use to," Artemis echoed and Robin caught her eyeing Dick appreciatively.

"So whatever Margali did, it sent me to another dimension?" Dick repeated. Robin nodded curtly. "A dimension without the Flying Graysons? Or just without Haley's circus? Or…"

"Don't worry so much about that; it's not very important," M'gann said softly. For some reason, her words stung and Robin felt his guts twist. "I'm sure we'll have you home in no time."

"So what's the plan, Rob?" Wally asked.

Robin sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He suddenly felt very tired. He didn't want to come up with a plan. All he wanted to do was curl up in a ball and pretend that he hadn't met this other Dick Grayson whose life was so perfect.

"We will return with Dick to the base," Kaldur supplied for him. "Then we will contact Batman and let him know about the situation. He will know what to do and how to get Dick home. Does that sound all right to you, Dick?"

Dick shrugged. "I guess it'll have to be. I don't think I could find a way home myself."

"Great, let's go," Superboy said peevishly, apparently not wanting to spend more time in Metropolis than he had to. That, or he really didn't like just standing around talking.

The group turned to make its way back to the bio-ship. Robin stood back, taking a series of deep breaths. He could do this. As Kaldur had said earlier, this was like any other mission and he would treat it as such. If he could pretend that this was not an alternate version of himself, if he could pretend that he was not sending him back to see the parents he could barely remember, if he could just pretend that this was some random kid who had the misfortune of being sent to another dimension, then maybe he could get through this with his sanity intact.


	4. Silent Observations

Silence permeated the bio-ship. It wasn't a particularly comfortable one, but Artemis would take it over Wally's nattering any day. Experience told her it wouldn't last long, so Artemis took the chance to study the kid seated beside her.

She didn't really know the Dick Grayson of her own dimension, even though she went to school with him. After all, she was just a underprivileged scholarship student and he was the ward of the richest man in all of Gotham. The school was full of social hierarchies, and she knew her place- way down at the bottom.

But, every once in a while, she heard rumours about the next prince of Gotham. About how he was just a glorified charity case like herself. About how he had once been a circus freak that had gotten lucky. She hadn't paid much attention- hadn't cared to- but now she found herself infinitely intrigued by it all.

From the few times she had interacted with her own reality's Dick, he had been polite, but somewhat distant and haughty- still a very nice kid, but untouchable. And while this new Dick seemed to enjoy the spotlight and was perhaps a little overly self-confident, he felt more open, more humble, more cheerful and bright. She found herself drawn to him like a moth to a flame. It didn't hurt that his green tights showed off his very toned body. Was her Dick Grayson this fit?

And what was the difference, anyway? What had happened in either reality to make these two boys so different from each other? What had happened that had caused her Dick Grayson to be the wealthiest kid in all of Gotham and for this one to still be a circus performer? She really wished she had paid more attention to the gossip at school.

"So you're all, what, superheroes?" Dick asked curiously and Artemis felt herself swoon over his light accent. She definitely needed to get a grip- he was just a kid after all.

"More or less," Wally replied. "I mean, I guess you can say we're superheroes in training."

"Sidekicks," Artemis clarified distastefully. She heard Superboy grunt from the other side of the ship. "I'm Artemis, by the way. I work with Green Arrow. And that's Aqualad, Miss Martian, Superboy, Kid Flash and Robin," she said, pointing out her team mates. They all waved slightly at Dick, except Robin, who kept his gaze firmly attached to the window.

What was his problem anyway? Sure, he was Batman's partner, but she had never seen him this moody.

"Nice to meet you all," Dick said with a grin. His smile faltered for a second. "I have to admit I don't really follow the superhero business that much- I think the only one of you I've heard of is Kid Flash," he admitted sheepishly. "And that's because he and The Flash helped save someone at the circus once. But, let me guess- Aqualad, you're with Aquaman. Superboy you're with-" Artemis cut him off with a quick cough.

"I'm Superman's clone," Superboy grunted.

"Uh, right. Miss Martian… Martian Manhunter?"

M'gann nodded, a big smile on her face. "He's my uncle," she confirmed cheerfully.

"And Robin…" he hesitated. Artemis wasn't sure if that was because he really didn't know who to pair him with, or because Robin was sending off death vibes in every direction. "Black Canary?"

Wally apparently found that hilarious and burst out laughing. Artemis had to hide her own snort of amusement with a cough.

"Actually, Robin is Batman's partner," Kaldur explained, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "He was the first of all of us."

"Batman?" Dick repeated incredulously. "I don't know much about him, but I hear he can make hardened criminals pee their pants with one look. I didn't think he would be the type to have a sidekick."

"He doesn't," Robin said flatly. "We're partners." Robin let out a long breath and suddenly straightened, plastering a smile on his face. Artemis could tell it was fake. "The Dynamic Duo. You must have heard of us."

Dick gave a non-committal grunt and ducked his head sheepishly. "Like I said, I don't pay too much attention to the superhero business. Maybe that's the difference between your reality and mine- sidekicks seem all the rage here and where I come from, the only one I or anyone else has heard of is Kid Flash."

Kid Flash grinned at that and held his head a little higher. Artemis rolled her eyes. "That's really a drag," she snipped. "You got the worse of the bunch."

"Hey!" Wally protested.

"Whatever Kid Klutz," Artemis yawned. Wally pouted and crossed his arms over his chest, causing Artemis to smirk to herself. "I almost feel sorry for having to send you back if he's all your dimension has got."

"Oh you did not just-"

"Total burn," Dick laughed. "But don't worry, I'll find some way to survive," he added with a wink. The others laughed with him which only made Wally's scowl deepen. Even Robin laughed, but to Artemis it sounded hollow. There was something definitely bugging the Boy Wonder but Artemis had no idea what it was. Was it Dick? How could he possibly put Robin in such a bad mood?

"Dude, not cool," Wally muttered.


	5. The Same Kid, But Different

Contrary to what his team mates might have thought, Robin wasn't completely ignoring them on the way home. Sure, he was keeping quiet, and perhaps he was a little wrapped up in his thoughts, but he was always, always aware of what was going on around him. He was observant, even when it looked like he had mentally checked out.

And one of the things he observed about this Grayson was that the kid could not sit still for more than a second. He bobbed side to side in his seat, twitched his feet, wriggled his fingers. It was like he was compelled to move or die. Robin couldn't help but grin at that. He hadn't been too different when he was a kid. It had been a hard-fought battle, with hours and hours of long, tortuously boring stake-outs, but Batman had finally broken him of the need to constantly be in motion. This Dick Grayson though had never had the need to be still and so had never learned.

Pretty soon, the ship landed in the docking bay. Dick sprang out of his seat as soon as the hatch opened and cart wheeled down the ramp.

"Show off," Wally said, though he sounded amused. "He's worse than you are, Rob." Robin just shrugged as he got out of his seat. Suddenly, Wally's hand was on his shoulder. "You okay, man? You've been taking this ninja silence thing of yours to the extreme."

Robin sighed and deflated. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just… It's been a long week and inter-dimensional mishaps are never very fun to deal with."

Wally squeezed his shoulder. "I know what you mean. But at least this time it's just some harmless kid and not The Dark Flash or something." Wally and Robin both shuddered at the memory. Yeah, that hadn't been fun at all.

Robin nodded mechanically. "You're right. He's just a harmless kid." Harmless to everyone but him.

With a weak smile, Robin shrugged out of Wally's grip and trudged out of the ship. The others were laughing about something and when he came out, he saw Dick perched on Superboy's shoulders, animatedly telling a story involving an elephant pyramid. Superboy didn't seem to mind as Dick effortlessly used him as a makeshift jungle gym. In fact, the clone was grinning broadly.

"It was like in that movie, Dumbo, and I was sure that it would end the same way- disastrous. So I took off and before the little guy had a chance, I jumped on the spring board and launched myself up to the top!" He laughed a carefree, brilliant laugh as he sprung off Superboy's shoulders and flipped in the air before landing beside Artemis. "I've never seen Pop Haley so mad before. But the crowd loved it! It was definitely ast-"

"Astounding, I'm sure," Robin said quickly, jogging up the join the group. He couldn't be too sure, but he would bet his utility belt that Dick was about to say 'asterous'. There were some things that not even being from an alternate dimension could change and Robin didn't need any more dots that his team could connect together. His bad mood had already made them suspicious.

If he was going to get through this little adventure with his secret identity still a mystery, then he was going to have to stick to Dick like glue, highlight their differences and stop his alternate self from showcasing their similarities.

"Astounding works too," Dick agreed.

"Being in a circus sounds really fun," M'gann added. "Do you travel much?"

"All the time," Dick replied. "I've been all over the country. I've been everywhere and anywhere. If we had gills, we'd probably even put on a show in Atlantis… though I don't think the acrobatics would be as impressive under water."

"Not to mention the cotton candy and popcorn would get soggy," Wally joked.

Kaldur smiled at that. "It certainly would be interesting. Now, I must contact Batman and inform him of our situation. Robin, I will need you to explain to energy readings."

Robin glanced between Kaldur, who was already walking away, and the others who were hanging on Dick's every word as he went into another story. He couldn't leave him alone with the others.

"Dick, you should probably come too," Robin finally said, finding a way out of the problem. "You'll need to explain what happened on your end."

Dick stopped mid-sentence, an eyebrow shooting up his forehead. "You want me to debrief the Batman?"

"He doesn't bite," Robin assured him. "Besides, you're the only one who can. And it'll help get you home faster if Batman knows what he's dealing with."

"Sure, that makes sense. Lead on."

Robin sighed in relief as Dick bounded forward and raced to catch up to Kaldur.

"Maybe we should find him some clothes," he heard M'gann say behind him. "He probably won't want to stay in those tights all night."

"Good point. Hey Rob, he looks about your size. Got any extra civvies he can borrow?"

Robin turned to glance over his shoulder, sending Wally a withering glare. "No."


	6. Growing Suspicions

Kaldur chuckled to himself as Dick launched off a wall ahead of him and Robin. He had not stopped cart wheeling and flipping and spinning and rolling since he had gotten out of the ship.

"He has talent," Kaldur remarked to Robin.

The younger teen nodded in agreement but didn't look amused. "But no discipline."

"You're right."

"Hey, I'm disciplined!" Dick cried from behind them. Kaldur jumped slightly. He hadn't noticed when and how Dick had slipped back past them. "I practice at least five hours a day and follow a strict diet- you don't just pull a quadruple somersault out of you butt you know."

"My apologies, Dick," Kaldur said sincerely. "I did not mean to imply that you did not work hard to be as good as you are."

Dick just grinned. "Nah, don't worry about it. I probably don't have the discipline to be a self-sacrificing hero like you guys." He did a back flip. "For one thing, I like the spotlight too much."

"Sticking to shadows not your gig?" Robin asked- now he looked amused.

"Pfft. No one applauses in the shadows. I don't want to come off as a fat head, but you have no idea what it's like to have a tent full of people piling in to see you because you can do something no one else can."

"You are right about that. But there is a secret thrill one feels when they have done something to make the world a better place," Kaldur pointed out kindly. Dick had the grace to look sufficiently chastised at his boasting before bouncing ahead. Kaldur shook his head in amusement and cast a glance at Robin. The hacker seemed thoughtful, and perhaps a little envious.

Perhaps the reason that Robin did not seem too impressed with Dick was that they were polar opposites. Robin thrived in shadows while Dick basked in the glowing applause of the spotlight. Robin used his not inconsiderable acrobatic skills to help others while it seemed Dick used his great talents to gratify himself. Dick was amiable and charming and sucked people in with an easy, brilliant smile. Robin on the other hand was more reserved, careful about who he let get close to him.

And yet, they were so similar too. Every once in a while, Robin would show off just for the sake of it- just because he knew he was the best. Kaldur couldn't help but think that if it hadn't been for the very stoic mentorship of Batman, Robin would probably be just as boisterous about his talents as Dick.

It occurred to Kaldur that this train of thought was leading him somewhere- somewhere important- but he didn't have a chance to ride it all the way as Robin sprinted ahead and summoned Batman on the communicator.

Kaldur took a deep breath to collect himself, as he always had to before speaking to the Batman, before stepping forward confidently. He faltered slightly when he saw the look on Batman's face. It was an intense look and it settled squarely on Dick. The young acrobat shifted nervously and stepped slightly behind Robin as if he could use him as a shield.

"Batman, we found the source of the energy readings," Kaldur reported, hoping to shift Batman's attention away from Dick. "It seems to have originated from another dimension."

"Robin," was all Batman said in response. If Kaldur didn't know any better, he would say Batman sounded concerned. But why would that be?

"I'm uploading the information to the Watchtower's computers now," Robin said as he tapped on his wrist. Kaldur noticed that Robin didn't make eye contact with his mentor.

"What happened?" Batman demanded in his usual Bat tone- a tone that left no room for hesitation.

"When we arrived, Kid Flash found him in the trees." Kaldur gestured to Dick who made an attempt to smile. "His name is Dick Grayson and we believe he's from an alternate dimension."

Batman narrowed his eyes. "So it would seem. The Dick Grayson of our dimension is hardly the type to be running around in tights." It didn't surprise Kaldur that Batman knew of Dick Grayson. He was the protector of Gotham after all, and Bruce Wayne- and by extension his ward- was part of the city's royalty.

Dick made a funny face as if that was a hard pill to swallow. "What kind of screwed up dimension is this?" he muttered under his breath.

"How did you get here?" Batman demanded.

Dick took a deep breath and took a step forward. He flashed Batman a brilliant grin, perhaps in an effort to win him over. Kaldur was slightly shocked when Batman's expression softened- not by much and it only lasted a moment before the cold mask reappeared. Strange. Dick was charming, no doubt, but it wasn't like Batman was some sort of pushover that could be easily swayed.

"Well, it's like this," Dick began. "I'm part of a circus group called the Flying Graysons. We were in the middle of one of our finest performances when this sorceress, Margali, who had a beef against Tati and Pop Haley, decided she needed to get revenge. The last thing I remember was swinging out and instead of Mom catching me, I flew into a bright light. Landed in the middle of nowhere in a big open space and headed for the trees. Kid Flash found me not too long after that." His explanation was given in one long breath.

"A sorceress?" Batman repeated. Dick nodded, causing Batman to frown. "That would explain the irregularities in the energy signature."

"So what's the plan? When can we get him home?" Robin asked impatiently.

"We'll have to analyze the information you gave us," Batman replied. "It might just be as simple as opening a boom tube- or we may have to go to Zatara for help." That thought didn't seem to please him. "Robin, you can come-"

"I'll stay here," Robin interrupted forcefully. He finally met Batman's eyes and held his gaze. They were locked in a silent conversation until Robin finally looked down. "I…"

"We'll be able to decipher the information without you," Batman acknowledged and Kaldur wondered if there had been any doubt before. Robin was a genius, but surely the Justice League didn't need him to translate an energy reading. The interchange between the two partners, however, was interesting. A thought niggled at the back of Kaldur's head that there was something more to all this than it seemed.

"I will let you know when we have something," Batman said and with that, the screen cut out. Dick let out a sigh of relief.

"That is one scary man," he commented. He turned to give Robin a quizzical look. "And you hang out with him of your own free will?"

Robin's lips twitched.


	7. Shattered Souls

When Batman's parents had been killed, it was like someone had turned a gun to his soul and had fired, shattering it into a million pieces. What once had been bright and happy became dull and grey, dark and brooding. Each little piece of his soul reflected a twisted version of what it should have. The black pieces transformed him into Gotham's Dark Knight- a man driven to stop crime in an attempt to cleanse the city of his parents' blood. They made him cold, calculating and distant.

A few pieces still shone, though sometimes dimly. They were the pieces that kept him from using his skills and hate to kill others. The little bright spots were what gave him the compassion and understanding needed to take in a poor orphaned circus performer and care for him like a son.

When Robin's parents had been killed, it was like someone had taken his soul and had smashed it into the ground, shattering it into a million pieces. What once had been bright and happy became marred with darkness. The dark pieces made him capable of taking on the most twisted villains in Gotham. They allowed him to blot out all emotion when needed in order to focus on the endgame, the mission.

But for the most part, his soul was still bright. Broken, but bright. The bright spots let him joke and tease. They let him laugh and make friends- though he was sometimes forced to keep them at a distance. And when he had found his parents' murderer, it had been the bright pieces that had kept Robin from killing him, choosing justice over vengeance.

While Batman had left the pieces of his shattered soul where they lay- leaving him incapable of living a real life with real connections- Robin had at least tried to sweep them into a pile. Sometimes he would even attempt to glue some of the pieces together. Robin didn't allow his past to consume his present.

Which was what made it really hard to keep himself from liking Dick Grayson. He wanted to hate him, he really did. He wanted to let the dark parts of his soul consume him and tell him he had to despise this perfect, whole version of himself. But he couldn't. Because yes, this Dick Grayson had everything he wanted and yes, he was envious. But he couldn't hate a reality where the parents that he loved were alive and happy because at least they existed, somewhere. At least they weren't doomed to falling to their deaths in every reality in the multi-verse. He loved them too much to hold that against them.

Robin was forever an optimist- though he liked to think he was more of a pragmatist who just leaned towards optimism. Though he tried to mimic his mentor's moodiness, no amount of training or desire could keep his natural exuberance from eventually breaking through.

So when Dick poked fun at Batman, Robin couldn't help but smirk. And when they left the debriefing area and Dick started to tell him and Kaldur about the time the strong man tried to impress the fat lady, Robin laughed.

* * *

><p>Personally, my favorite chapter.<p> 


	8. An Epic Showdown

Dick couldn't help but grin madly when Robin started laughing. He didn't know what the kid's problem was, but he had been a little black cloud ever since he had showed up. Heck, maybe he was always like that, how would he know? But it seemed like an awful way to live life- always angry about something.

But now he was laughing- even harder than Aqualad was. It made Dick giddy with delight. He really was a great performer to crack the Batman's partner.

"Poor Horatio," Robin snorted.

"Indeed. It would seem that there are some things that not even a strong man can lift," Aqualad agreed, sounding highly amused.

"Yeah," was all Dick could reply, stuck on Robin's comment. Horatio? Had he mentioned the strong man's name? He must have- Robin might have been the protégé to the world's greatest detective, but there was no way he could've known that unless Dick had told him. Right?

"Dick, would you like a tour of the mountain while we wait for Batman?" Aqualad asked.

"Yeah, sure," Dick replied amiably. "But…"

"But what?" Aqualad asked.

Dick sighed. The only thing he really wanted to do was find out about this dimension's Dick Grayson. Something had to be seriously screwed up here if he wasn't in the circus. Had his dad decided to become a lawyer instead of an acrobat? Had his mom died in childbirth? Did Pop Haley go bankrupt before he could start the circus?

There were a thousand and one possibilities and Dick found his mind making up as many scenarios as it could, each worse than the last. He knew it didn't really matter- whatever had happened in this dimension had no effect on his own- but that didn't make him any less curious. If he didn't get answers soon, it would become an obsession.

"Look, I just really want to find out about your dimension's Dick Grayson. I mean, what happened to him? Batman made it sound like he was just an average kid. And how does Artemis know me- him? And you automatically knew I was from a different dimension-"

"My readouts told me that," Robin said darkly, his bad mood returning.

"Whatever. The point is, something is wrong with this dimension. I know it doesn't really affect me, but what if I stay in this dimension? What if Batman can't find a way to get me home? What will happen to me?"

"We will worry about that only if it happens. But I am sure Batman will find a way to return you to your dimension," Aqualad said, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "And as for this dimension's Dick Grayson, I am afraid I do not know anything about him."

"But you do," Dick said, pointing to Robin. "And Artemis apparently does. Come on, just tell me something!"

Robin didn't seemed at all moved by his pleas. "No. There's nothing to tell and like you said, it doesn't affect you. We'll get you home to your dimension and you can just pretend that this whole thing never happened."

Dick balled his fists and glared at Robin, trying to intimidate him into changing his mind. Robin just glared back and Dick felt himself shudder. "Fine," he ground out. "Don't tell me. I don't see what the big deal is anyway."

"I could say the same thing to you," Robin shot back. "I don't see why you need to know."

"Oh come on!" Dick cried, feeling a bit of his fire back. "You're telling me you wouldn't be curious?"

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"But satisfaction brought him back," Dick countered.

"I do not believe this arguing is getting us anywhere," Aqualad said evenly, stepping between the two of them. "Dick, you must understand that we do not know what effect you are having on our dimension or what the knowledge you gain here about anything will affect you once you return home. I realize this is not like time travel and the results of your visit will not be as dramatic, but we cannot afford to take chances. For the time being, we must limit your knowledge of our world. If it turns out that you cannot return home, then we will tell you all we can and help you fit in."

Dick slumped in defeat. "I guess that makes sense… a little."

Aqualad smiled kindly. "Now, what about that tour?" Dick just nodded. "Let's go get the others. I am sure they will want to join us," Aqualad suggested.

"Yeah, sure," Dick agreed.

Pretty soon, they had joined up with the others and though Superboy thought a tour was a dumb idea, they all agreed to join them.

"And this is our gymnasium," Aqualad said, as they entered a large, open area of the cave. Dick stood back, suitably impressed. There were weights and a very complicated looking treadmill, a pool and… a big mess of wires and ropes and swings hanging from the ceiling.

"Awesome! What a set-up!" Dick felt his palms grow itchy with anticipation. He needed to get up there and fly- he'd been on the ground too long.

"Batman set that up for Robin a few months ago," Miss Martian explained. "He's an acrobat too."

Dick glanced at Robin, who shifted slightly. "Mostly I just hack computers," Robin added quickly. "I'm not really-"

"Whatever. Don't let Rob fool you," Kid Flash interrupted, throwing an arm over Robin's shoulders. "This kid basically defies the laws of gravity every chance he gets." Suddenly, KF's eyes grew wide with excitement. "You guys thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Only if we lowered our IQ but like, a million points," Artemis replied with a smirk.

Kid Flash stuck his tongue out at her. "I'm thinking we should have an epic showdown! Dick's an acrobat, Robin's a ninja, it'd be the greatest show on earth!"

"I'm game," Dick said, the urge to get up there becoming overwhelming. He always felt under whelmed when stuck on the ground. "Why can't I ever just be whelmed?" he muttered to himself. Kid Flash must've heard because he shot him a funny look.

Dick just smirked and shrugged before running towards Superboy. Superboy straightened and looked alarm. "Boost!" Dick shouted as he turned a cartwheel on his way. Superboy nodded and cupped his hands. Dick jumped into his hands and Superboy threw him upwards. He was stronger than Dick had anticipated, sending him up fast and high. It was a rush that made his heart speed up with excitement. Dick caught onto a rope and swung out, let go and flipped through the air.

"You coming?" he called down to Robin, challenging him.

Robin hesitated. Dick rolled his eyes and went back to flipping and turning as he swung from rope to rope. He was mid-air when someone grabbed his hand and threw him upwards. Dick somersaulted and caught another rope. A moment later Robin swung past him and smirked.

Dick paused, hanging from a wire and watched as Robin performed stunt after stunt. He was good. Very good. And though he didn't want to give Robin the satisfaction of knowing he was impressed, Dick couldn't deny fact. "You're good," he finally admitted.

"Batman's not an easy taskmaster," Robin stated as he flew past.

"Guess not. But can you do this?" Dick cried, feeling competitive. "Get ready to catch me!" And with that, he let go and executed a perfect quadruple somersault in the air. As he straightened, he stretched his hands out. Robin caught hold of them.

"Well?" Dick pressed, looking up. "Can you?"

Even with the mask covering his eyes, Robin looked conflicted. Finally he let out a small sigh of defeat. "I don't think I should even try."

Dick grinned, satisfaction running through him. "There are only three people in the world who can do that. Me, mom and dad. Which makes me wonder if your Dick Grayson and his parents can do it."

Robin's expression remained carefully blank. He wouldn't budge, wouldn't even give the smallest hint of what he knew. "Couldn't say." And without another word, Robin tossed him into the air before swinging to the rope ladder leading to the ground. Dick quickly followed him.

"Dude! That was AWESOME!" Kid Flash cried when they came down.

"I hate to say it, but I agree with Kid Fanboy here," Artemis said. "That was incredible."

Dick bowed dramatically. "Thank-you, thank-you! Hey, Robin, maybe if I stay around longer, I can train you to pull a quad too," he added with a smug smirk.

"A quad? You mean that thing that you did at the end?" Superboy asked. Dick nodded. "Robin can already do that- I've seen him."

Dick raised an eyebrow and inspected Robin carefully. Maybe there was a reason Robin didn't want him to know about this dimension's Dick Grayson. Maybe there was a reason he was in such a foul mood. Maybe Dick hadn't told him the strong man's name after all- maybe Robin had known it the whole time.

Robin. What kind of a superhero name was that anyway? A dumb one, and not very intimidating, especially when your partner was the goddamn Batman. So what had possessed him to take on that title?

Dick took a deep breath, taking a chance on what he was about to say. "That's one out of three, 'little robin'. Now, what happened to the other two?"


	9. Supposed to Be's

Wally jumped back when Robin suddenly punched Dick. The uppercut knocked the acrobat off his feet and sent him to the floor. Well, so much for them finally getting along.

In an instant, he was grabbing Dick's hand and hauling him back onto his feet. Dick looked surprised as he held his jaw with one hand. The surprise faded into sadness which struck KF as interesting. If it had been him, Wally would've been madder than a wet hen, not sad.

"Dude, Rob, what the he-" He turned to question his best friend, but Robin was no longer anywhere in sight. Damn ninja. Instead, he turned to back to Dick. "What the hell?"

Dick just sighed. "Think I said something to offend him."

No kidding. But what? Robin wasn't the type to just fly off the handle like that, especially against a civilian. What had Dick said that was so terrible? Something about one out of three? What did that even mean?

"Are you all right, Dick?" Kaldur asked. Dick nodded, still rubbing his jaw. Kaldur let out a long breath. "I do not think it is wise to be around him right now, but I will go to make sure Robin is all right anyway."

"I'll go with you," Wally said. Kaldur was right- it wasn't wise to be around Robin when he was ticked off- which, in his defence, rarely happened. But Wally had no idea why he was upset and he needed to find out, whatever the risk to life and limb.

Despite being his best friend, Robin kept a lot of this close to the chest. Wally realized he really didn't know all that much about the boy wonder- how he had become Batman's sidekick, what he liked to do when he wasn't hero-ing. Heck, he didn't even know what color his eyes were. It galled Wally that he couldn't instantly tell what was wrong with him. He should've. He should have been the guy Robin could tell anything to.

Well, whether Robin told him what was wrong or not, Wally would be there to help him through it. That was what friends did.

"You search outside, I'll search inside." Wally said to Kaldur.

"Agreed. There is no telling where he might be now," Kaldur replied. Both knew that when Robin wanted to be alone, he either went back to the Batcave or to the gym, up in his 'robin's nest'. They hadn't heard the computers announce his departure through the tubes, and he obviously wasn't in the gym with them.

"Come on, let's go get you some ice," he heard M'gann say to Dick as he turned to leave.

Wally dashed off, searching high and low for his friend. He wasn't in the kitchen or the common room or any of the rarely used bedrooms. Wasn't near the bio-ship or in the medical bay.

Finally Wally came to the library- the last place he could possibly be unless he were outside. Or in the air vents. Wally shuddered. He hated being in small places, and air vents definitely qualified as small. Still, if it meant finding his friend, he would venture as far as he could.

Turned out there was no need. After searching between all the bookshelves, Wally finally found Robin sitting in the shadows. The hacker was hunched in on himself, holding his legs, his cheek resting on his knees. He looked so small, so hopeless. As he came closer, Wally saw tears sliding down from under his mask.

This was bad. Really bad. Robin didn't cry. Ever. It just did not happen. Batman was just as likely to burst into song as Robin was to cry.

"Rob?" Robin looked up and, upon recognizing him, quickly and furiously scrubbed at his face. Cautiously, Wally came closer and sunk down on the floor beside him. "So?"

"So?" Robin repeated airily.

Wally gave him a incredulous look. He wasn't going to let Robin fool him. "Look, you don't have to tell me why you did it, but, dude, you punched a civilian! That's not okay."

Robin sighed and deflated, becoming even smaller under Wally's gaze. "I just… He figured it out. And the way he said 'little robin'… Like I wasn't worthy of it or something."

Wasn't worthy? Figured what out?

Wally tried to fit what pieces he had together. Robin had paled the moment he had seen Dick and then had proceeded to act like a complete jerk. He had been either quiet or angry the whole way home, neither of which were like him. Both he and Dick were crazy awesome acrobats and Wally sure he hadn't just imagined Dick being 'whelmed'.

"Oh. He's you."

Robin jumped up. "He's not just me!" he shouted angrily, smacking one hand to his chest while throwing the other out. "He's what I was supposed to be! You think I was meant to be Robin? No! I was meant to be a Flying Grayson with my folks. I was supposed to have a family! I was supposed to be…" Robin's voice faltered and he looked away. "I was supposed to be happy."

Wally sat in silence, stunned by Robin's outburst. Slowly, Robin slid against the wall and back onto the ground. "Great. Batman is going to kill me. I should've gone to the Watchtower when I had a chance. But I thought I could keep him- and you, all of you- from finding out- from asking too many questions."

Wally didn't really know what to say to all that. Robin was Dick Grayson. Wally knew very little about their dimension's Dick Grayson. All he knew was that he was an orphan, adopted or 'warded' or whatever by billionaire Bruce Wayne. Wait, if Robin was Dick Grayson and Grayson was Bruce Wayne's ward then Bruce Wayne was-

Not important. Okay, maybe important. Maybe huge! Playboy Bruce Wayne was the Batman for pity sakes. But no, that wasn't important right now. What was important was making sure Robin was okay.

"I'm sorry," Wally finally said, not sure if that was the right thing to say or if it would be enough.

Robin let out a shaky breath. "My mom called me her little robin because I was born on the first day of Spring," he said quietly.

"I didn't think Batman would give you that name. Too creative for a guy who dresses up like a bat and calls himself Batman." It was supposed to be a joke, but it fell flat. Robin gave him half a smile anyway. "What was she like?"

"You know, I think that's what bugs me the most." Robin stood and turned to walk away from him. "I don't remember. He got to see her an hour ago and I don't even remember what she looked like."

"Robin." Wally caught up to him and rested a hand on his shoulder. Robin stopped, but didn't tense which Wally figured was a good thing. "Robin… I can't lie, I don't know how you feel. I can only imagine how I would feel if a Wally from another dimension came here and he had great parents who loved him and were… well, not like mine. Even that wouldn't be the same. But-" he paused. He didn't know what he was even trying to say anymore. "But Rob, you've got a family. Maybe not the one you were supposed to have, but we do love you."

Robin glanced back at him and hesitantly rested his hand on his. Robin squeezed it slightly and then, wordlessly, walked away.

* * *

><p>Got to go to work now. I'll update later.<p> 


	10. Bad Chicken

DAH! Just watched the newest episode of YJ and I LOVED it! I actually liked Superboy. When I heard the episode would be about sphere and him and I was just "ugh" but he has personality. He's funny even! I love how he was like "Uh... Okay... Crazies..." And Robin not wanting to be THE Batman... epic. Too bad it'll happen some time. (My glee is helped by the fact that I just read a Batman comic which has Dick as Batman and Alfred saying he's not used to dealing with a neurotic Batman. HEE!)

Okay, so on with the story then...

* * *

><p>"Come on, let's go get you some ice," M'gann said.<p>

"Yeah, it looks pretty bad," Artemis agreed, wincing at the bruise that was already forming on Dick's jaw. Carefully, she pulled Dick's hand away from his face and used it to pull him towards the kitchen.

"What's wrong with him anyway?" Superboy asked, sounding confused and frustrated. It was pretty bad, Artemis thought, that even Superboy couldn't understand why Robin was angry. The clone practically defined irrational rage.

Dick just sighed. Then suddenly, he perked up. "Yeah, what is with him anyway?" he asked indignantly. "I mean, what do you guys know about him?"

Artemis paused for half a second before continuing on. "Robin? Not much," she admitted. "He's Batman's protégé and he's been doing this whole hero thing since he was nine."

"Nine?" Dick repeated.

"That's what he told me. And I believe it. That kid is one cool cucumber under pressure."

"Except around you," Superboy pointed out.

Artemis turned her head to look at Superboy thoughtfully. He had a point. Robin wasn't the type to just punch someone for no reason. He usually handled even the most dangerous situation with a cool grace and calm determination. 'We save them, that's how it works. Get traught or get dead,' he had once told her as if there was no reason to panic over two super-powered robots trying to kill them and all their friends.

But this whole thing with Dick had turned Robin into a black hole of negativity. He hadn't said all that much, but Artemis could tell by how he moved and how he acted that he was seriously distraught. Heavy on the 'dis'.

"He's so smart," M'gann continued. "He can hack any computer, and he helps me with my math homework all the time. And he's usually really cheerful. But now…" M'gann shuddered. "I didn't read his mind, I swear, but I can feel his emotions. He feels… so many things."

There was more to that than M'gann was saying, but Artemis didn't want to press. "That's about all we can tell you about him," she finally said, giving Dick's hand an apologetic squeeze.

"Whatever, no big deal. I was just curious."

When the reached the kitchen, Artemis steered Dick onto the couch while M'gann fetched a bag of ice.

"So, enough about Robin," Dick said with a yawn that sounded like he was trying too hard to appear disinterested. "Tell me about me."

Artemis arched an eyebrow sceptically. "About you?" Fat head. Very cute, muscular fat head. Artemis scooted closer to him.

"You said you knew me. You recognized me anyway. So you must know this- ow, that's cold." He was interrupted when M'gann sat next to him and gently pressed the icepack to his jaw. "Thanks Miss Martian."

"Call me M'gann. Or Megan. That's my Earth name."

Dick smiled and winked at her. "Sounds good to me," he said before turning his attention back to Artemis. "You must know the Dick Grayson of this world," he continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. "So… what's he like?"

Artemis sized Dick up carefully. Should she really tell him? She couldn't see what the big deal was. But she couldn't blame him for being curious. If it had been her, she would want to know everything she could about her alternate self. "He goes to my school," she finally admitted after a moment's debate.

Dick arched an eyebrow. "School?"

"Yeah. You know, school. Where you go to learn and get tortured by boring teachers. We may be superheroes, but we still need our education."

Dick gave her a sheepish look. "Sure, but it's just that… I don't go to a school. My mom home schools me. I guess that's one difference right there. What else?"

Artemis squirmed uncomfortably. She didn't want to have to tell him that he was an orphan. "He's kind of a troll," she said instead. "Always sneaking up and scaring you. The first time I met him, he popped up out of nowhere, took my picture and disappeared."

"They talk about him in magazine gossip columns all the time," M'gann piped up eagerly.

"Really?" Dick said with half a laugh. "What kind of gossip?"

M'gann blushed. "Oh, about how he's going to inherit Bruce Wayne's fortune and how he's going to end up a playboy and which actresses he was last seen hanging around and what kind of mischief he got into when he was in Europe and-"

"Inherit Bruce Wayne's fortune?" Dick repeated incredulously. "Why?"

Artemis took a deep breath. They couldn't hide it from him now. And maybe he deserved to know. "You're- he- our Dick Grayson is Bruce Wayne's ward." She took his hand. "I think his parents died somehow and Mr. Wayne took him in."

Dick looked as if he had been smacked. "I'm- he's an orphan?" he said quietly, blue eyes downcast. Artemis could see them water up but resisted the urge to hug him. He quickly shook his head and cleared his throat. "I… I guess it's not like it's my parents but… I still feel like I lost something. I feel… how must he feel? My parents are so wonderful, they're my whole life. I don't know what I'd do…" He trailed off and glanced down at his hands.

Artemis couldn't help it any longer and wrapped her arms around Dick, hugging him tightly. "Yeah, they're not really your parents, but it must be a blow to find out that they're dead."

"Especially if you're stuck in this dimension," Superboy said awkwardly. Not helping, Superboy, Artemis thought, rolling her eyes.

"How?" Dick said flatly. "How did they die?"

"I don't know," Artemis said truthfully. "But I guess we can find out." She let go of Dick and brought up the holo-computer. From the corner of her eye, she saw Dick watching her type away in fascination. "The technology we have here is pretty neat, huh?"

"Very cool," Dick agreed. "I have to say, I don't know much about computers. Don't have time for them, or even really need them. Same goes for television."

"No television?" M'gann said, sounding appalled. "Really? I don't know what I'd do without television. That's how I learned everything I know about Earth."

Artemis rolled her eyes. Yes, because M'gann's perception of Earth life was oh so accurate. "Here we go," she announced, pulling up a new article about Dick Grayson. She eyed Dick carefully. "You sure you want to know."

"Yes," Dick said firmly with a nod. "Please?"

"Okay." It wasn't like they were his parents, Artemis reminded herself. It's not like this would bring up horrible memories or anything. Still, Dick winced as he read the article.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Dick mumbled. Artemis couldn't blame him. The article was a firsthand account of what had happened at Haley's Circus many years ago. The Flying Graysons had been performing their world class acrobatic act 'without the safety of a net!' when their lines had snapped, sending John and Mary Grayson to a gruesome death on the tent floor. 'Their twisted and broken bodies lying in pooling blood while a little boy cried for them from above,' the article stated.

Turned out it had been orchestrated by some crook named Tony Zucco who had wanted to make an example in order to collect protection money.

"Tony Zucco," Dick said, eyes flashing. "I remember him! I remember this!" He practically jumped out of his seat and began pacing. "He came to the circus and tried to get Pop to pay him protection money. I remember because it was the first time I had seen Pop get mad and actually yell at someone. Zucco said he would just have to convince Pop it was a wise investment."

He stopped pacing and squeezed his eyes shut, as if trying to remember the details. He shook his head and continued to tread the carpet. "Pop said I shouldn't worry. We were supposed to perform the next night, but we all came down with the flu- maybe it was food poisoning or something, I can't remember. So Pop sent in a different group of fliers- not as good as us and they used a net. Their lines snapped, but the nets caught them and they were okay.

"The police investigated, found out it wasn't just an accident and linked it to Zucco. They put him away for attempted murder."

Dick stopped, his knees shaking. "We had the flu. Ate bad chicken or something. That's the only reason they're still alive."

Artemis jumped to her feet and gently guided Dick back to the couch before he collapsed. He looked up and grabbed her arm, eyes pleading with her. "Don't tell him. Please don't tell him that that was the only thing that saved them."

Artemis nodded. "I won't," she promised. She could only imagine what it would feel like to know that something so small, something so stupid and insignificant, could change someone's whole life. If her Dick Grayson were to find out, he would probably spend a good deal of time agonizing over the 'what if's'. Heck, this Dick was probably beating himself over the 'what if's' and he had less to regret. 'What if we had gone out to eat instead. What if I had told Mom I hated her chicken and had convinced them to eat pop tarts. What if we had performed that day. What if it had been me?'

"I won't tell him. He doesn't have to even know you were here."

Dick rubbed his jaw and looked down. "Don't tell Robin," he whispered so quietly that she almost didn't hear him.

Don't tell Robin. Why would-

Oh.


	11. Going Home

When he and Wally came into the common room, they found M'gann and Artemis crowded around Dick. M'gann ran her fingers through his black hair while Artemis held one of his hand, one arm wrapped around him in half a hug. Superboy stood back, watching them awkwardly.

"What's going on?" Robin asked stiffly, though he had a pretty good idea.

M'gann looked up, teary eyed. "We were just reading about what happened to this world's Flying Graysons. It was awful."

Robin's stomach twisted but he forced himself to remain calm. He had already had an emotional breakdown- hell, he had cried for pity sakes. Once was enough for him.

"I told you, you didn't need to know."

Dick looked up and wiped away a few tears. Why was he crying? His parents were safe and sound! He had no right to cry over the 'what if's'. "I'm sorry. I should've left it alone. I'm sorry."

"Whatever," Robin muttered. He didn't need Dick's sympathy.

He noticed that Artemis kept trying not to look at him. Great. Just great. She knew too. Batman was seriously going to kill him.

"Recognized, Batman zero-two. Recognized Zatara one-one," the computer announced. Robin groaned. Great.

"Batman and Zatara have arrived," Kaldur said needlessly from where he had just appeared in the doorway. "They must have found a way to send you home, Dick." Dick nodded and stood up, shaking himself loose from the girls' attention. "This way," Kaldur continued as he led the group towards the Zeta tubes.

Sure enough, Batman and Zatara were there, waiting. Zatara didn't look too pleased about seeing them all again.

Robin tried to keep his expression neutral as he looked up at Batman. There was no point. The others would not be as good at hiding it from him. Their thoughts were plainly written across their faces. Batman would know by the way Wally was practically glued to his side. He would know from the way Artemis looked uncharacteristically sympathetic. He would know from the way Dick was trying hard not to look at anyone. Batman would know that they had figured out that Robin was really Dick Grayson.

So it came as quite a shock when Robin didn't see anger in Batman's face. Instead, the Dark Knight looked… concerned. About him. Not about his secret, but about him. It was amazing how much Robin could see in that one look.

"We're sending you home," Batman stated without preamble. "The portal that sent you here was opened by magic, but Zatara thinks he can reopen it and send you back."

"Sounds good to me. I'm ready to get home and back to normal," Dick replied. Suddenly, his eyes grew wide. "But what about Margali? What if she's still trying to get back at Dad and Pop Haley. There's no telling what she might do!"

"I'm sure she's been dealt with."

"By who? Who's going to stop her?" Dick cried.

Dick was right. Who would stop her? Maybe, if they were lucky, the Justice League in that dimension had happened upon the circus and had helped out. But more likely, the circus was on their own. His parents were on their own.

Robin stepped forward. "We will." He may not have liked Dick all that much, but there was no way he was letting this woman do anything to him and his parents. Not if he could help it. "We'll go through the portal with him, find out what this Margali is up to and stop her."

"Robin," Batman started.

"We have to," Robin said firmly as the other gathered around him and nodded in agreement.

Batman regarded him for a moment before pulling something out from his cape. "Take this. When everything is secure, press this button. It will send a signal through to this dimension and Zatara will open another portal."

He knew. He had known they would want to go through to help Dick.

Robin grabbed the device. Batman held on for a moment longer and their eyes met. "Good luck," he finally said before letting go. Robin nodded and tucked the device away before turning to join his team.

"Thank-you," Dick said meekly. "I know-"

"Everything will be okay," Robin interrupted.

Zatara recited a spell and a burst of light appeared in one of the Zeta tubes.

"Let's go," Kaldur ordered coolly before stepping into the portal. The others joined him. Robin stopped at the edge of the tube and looked back. The expression on Batman's face was unreadable but he nodded.

As Robin stepped into the portal, he could've sworn he heard Batman saying good-bye.


	12. Problems on the Other Side

When they stepped out of the portal, they were assaulted with the red and blue of flashing police lights. Policemen milled around, gathering statements from performers and spectators alike. Robin's heart dropped into his stomach. Was this all for Dick, or had something else happened? Maybe this Margali had gone a step further.

No one seemed to have noticed their odd group yet and Robin took the chance to scan the crowd for anyone familiar. His eyes finally rested on one woman sitting on a crate, sobbing to the police, and his breath caught in his throat.

It was her. It had to be.

Memories, long faded in his mind, rushed back like a tidal wave as he took in every detail: long red hair pulled back into a ponytail, watery blue eyes, lithe figure, delicate hands. Robin felt tears sting his eyes.

"Mom," he whispered. At the same moment, Dick shouted the same thing and ran forward.

At the sound of his voice, Mary Grayson bolted upright and spread her arms out. "Richard!"

Dick flew into her arms and hugged her. "Mami!"

"Richard! What happened? Where have you been?" Mary cried as she held her son close, nuzzling him tenderly. "We were so worried about you!"

"It's okay, Mom. I'm fine. Everything's fine now." From where he stood, Robin could see Mary tense. Dick pulled away from her. "Mom? What is it?"

"Oh Dick. After you disappeared, Margali came into the big top and started ranting about something. Your father and Pop Haley tried to stop her but-"

"But what?"

"But as soon as they got close, there was a bright light and when it faded, they were all gone. I'm so worried. We've looked everywhere for them!"

Instantly, Robin was on his wrist computer, scanning for energy trails from a teleport. There was a very faint signature, presumably from when Dick was thrown into their dimension, and another, very strong one, most likely from the groups arrival. There was a third energy reading as well, faint, and with a different pattern and frequency.

Robin raced up to Mary and Dick, eyes planted firmly on his holo-screen as he went over the readings. "You have a Justice League in this dimension, right?"

"Yeah, I think so," Dick replied. "Why?"

Robin tapped furiously at his computer. "Because if there's a Justice League, they must have a Watchtower which probably monitors unusual energy outputs around the world. Even if this one missed their detection, the database will have records of similar energy signatures," Robin explained quickly, not really caring if Dick was keeping up. "I just have to hack into the Batcave and from there, hack into the Watchtower and-" He watched as several angry red Robin faces on his screen turned green and smiley. "Bingo! The Batcave here has the same security and it's linked to the Watchtower."

"Hey!" the police officer beside Mary Grayson shouted. "Who are you? And did you just say you were hacking the Justice League database?" To say he sounded shocked would've been an understatement. Heavy on the under.

"Don't worry about it, Officer," Wally said, suddenly in the midst of the group. "He's a friend. We've got it under control." The officer seemed to recognize Wally as Kid Flash and nodded, taking a step back. "What have you got, Rob?"

"Look at the frequency of this energy signature," Robin said, pointing to his screen. "This one and this one here are from the inter-dimensional portals, but this one is different. I'm not sure what that means but I'm cross-referencing it with anything the League here might have come in contact with. See, look."

Wally's expression was blank. "I'm looking, but I'm not seeing. Translation?"

"It looks like this one is a regular space portal- meaning Margali, Pop and Dad are in the same dimension, just in a different place. Let's see if…" Robin's eyes lit up. "They're still in Metropolis. See. According to the readings from the Watchtower, this energy trail also appears here." A map of Metropolis lit up on his holo-screen. A flashing red light appeared in one of the warehouse districts. "Suicide Slums."

"Catchy name," Wally muttered.

"It's not far," Robin continued, ignoring the comment.

"Dick? What's going on?" Mary asked. Her voice was strained with worry, but it still sounded soft and musical. Robin sighed and soaked up every syllable, every lilt, every nuisance in her voice. He'd forgotten how wonderful it was.

"It's a long story, Mom. I'll tell you later. But they're here to help," Dick explained. "So what are we waiting for? Let's-"

"You're not coming," Robin stated firmly, finally tearing his gaze away from his computer to stare down Dick.

"What do you mean, I'm not coming? I can help you!"

"No." Robin tried to channel all his years of working with Batman into that one word. It worked. Dick didn't look too happy, but he wasn't about to argue either. Robin softened slightly. "Stay with Mom; she needs you." He finally glanced at Mary and managed a smile, hoping to reassure her. "We'll be back soon," he promised.

Mary looked back at him, confusion and hope written on her face. And something else. Tenderness? Robin couldn't be sure and if it was, it couldn't be directed at him. She didn't know who and what he was- how could she? Still, Robin felt an irresistible urge to hug her, tell her that he missed her, that he loved her. Maybe she would hug back.

Robin shook the thought out of his head. He had to stay focussed. His- Dick's- father and Pop Haley needed him. He couldn't let himself turn into mush now.

As he turned to leave, Dick grabbed his arm, pulling him back. "Be careful."

Robin only answered with a nod and ran off.


	13. Margali

An odd conglomeration of warehouses, sleazy clubs, and run down tenements, Suicide Slum wouldn't be appearing in any Metropolis tourism brochures anytime soon. Thugs were in every alley, hookers on every corner, destroying the image of "The City of Tomorrow" and making it almost Gotham-sque. Anyone who lived in the area had a brisk step- almost a jog- their heads down so as to not draw attention to themselves.

Perched on the edge of a rooftop, Robin ignored all of them. His sights rested instead on a broken down- probably condemned- building. A faded sign proclaimed it had once been the "Gabby's Tuna Farm". He tapped on his wrist, bringing up the holoscreen and the blinking red dots that showed the energy trail Margali's teleport had generated.

"That the place?" KF asked, peering down at the building. Robin nodded. "So what's the plan?"

Every instinct told Robin to just barrel in there, bird-a-rangs flying. He needed to get his- Dick's, he reminded himself forcefully- father and Pop Haley out of there. Now.

But the more rational, more trained part of him said that they needed to wait, observe. There was no telling what Margali was doing in there. For all they knew, Dad and Pop could be dead. Or in some serious trouble. And if they went in there guns a-blazing, it could just put them in an even worse situation.

Without a word, Robin shot out a line and swung off the roof to the next building. A dirty, half-broken skylight offered him a view into the building. There wasn't much to see. Broken crates and boxes were strewn about between old, cobwebbed machines. A woman's voice floated upwards, though Robin couldn't make out what she was saying.

Suddenly, M'gann and Wally were at his side. Robin shot them a dirty look. He should've told them to stay behind at the circus. He had to do this himself- he had to save them himself.

He was about to tell them so when M'gann rested a hand on his knee. _Robin, don't shut us out._

Damn telepaths. He must've been way out of sorts for M'gann to hear his thoughts without his knowing.

_We're not letting you do this on your own,_ Wally added. _You can't do this on your own._

Robin was about to protest, but he knew Wally was right. He couldn't do this on his own. Even if Margali turned out to be a push-over, he was too emotionally involved. It wasn't something Robin was use to. Even in the most dire of circumstances, he could shut out all emotions, all feelings, and focus on the mission, on getting the job done no matter the cost.

But now? Now the thought of failure terrified him. He couldn't lose his father again. He wouldn't let Dick go through that kind of pain. But fear made for mistakes and mistakes weren't something he could afford.

Robin sighed in defeat. _We need to find out what's going on,_ Robin said. _Superboy, go around the back of the building. Kaldur, the front. The rest of us will go in and assess the situation from above._

After they had acknowledged his instructions, Robin silently slipped through the skylight and onto the rafters. The others followed, not as silently, but good enough. Robin hopped from rafter to rafter until he saw a little light shining in the corner. Motioning for his team mates to stay put, Robin crept closer until he was overlooking the area.

John Grayson and Pop Haley were tied to chairs near a stack of crates. A shadow fell across them, as someone hidden from Robin's view paced back and forth. Robin took a moment to study the two men.

Pop Haley was just how he remembered. A tall, round man with red cheeks and dark brown eyes. He had always made the best Santa Claus at Christmas, Robin absently remembered.

Except for the bit of grey overtaking the black hair near his temples, John Grayson looked exactly like Robin's father had. Same strong jaw and powerful build, same intense green eyes. The look of pure hate on his face, however, was new and directed at their hidden companion.

"All I can do, all I'm capable of, you should've been grateful to have me!" a woman, Margali, shrieked. "The circus was my life! My family! And you kicked me out like a good-for-nothing trespasser!"

"I gave you plenty of chances to turn around," Pop Haley said calmly.

"You took everything away from me!" Margali cried.

At that, John Grayson snarled and tugged at his bonds. "So you took my son? Where is he? What did you do to him? I swear Margali, I will-"

"Temper, temper," Margali said, her voice suddenly as smooth as silk. Stepping into Robin's view, she came up to John and tapped his cheek. "Why should you have your family if I can't have mine? I grew up in the circus too, you know. But no one seems to care that I'm leaving. So-" she whirled around on her heel- "maybe they'll miss the other circus baby. I can bring him back, but you'll have to take me too."

Robin studied his opponent: tall and thin, with wild black hair and cold grey eyes, and dressed in an outfit not unlike Zatanna's. Robin wasn't sure what she was capable of and that, coupled with her obvious mental instability, made her dangerous.

"I can't have you going around destroying the circus' good name," Pop stated.

"So your good name is worth losing little Dickie-bird?" Margali restated contemptuously.

Pop sighed in defeat. "No."

Marlgali smirked. "I thought not. Now, let's all go home and then I'll bring him back."

"Too bad he's already home!" Robin crowed from the rafters. All three looked up as he launched himself off the rafters, flipped in the air, and landed softly on the ground between the two men and Margali.

"Dick!" John cried. "Dick, what are you doing here? What are you wearing?"

"New uniform," Robin said before doing a back flip and landing on the back of John's chair. "With a few improvements." Taking out a bird-a-rang, he tossed it at Margali. It landed at her feet/ The woman blinked in confusion and then, as the weapon started beeping, took a step back. The bird-a-rang exploded, sending out a blast of heat and smoke. Robin jumped in front of the two men and spread his cape, protecting them from the bits of debris that flew towards them.

"You all right?" Robin asked. Both men nodded, but John gave him a funny look.

"You're not Dick," John said quietly and hopelessly. The words slapped Robin across the face and his stomach twisted. How could he tell? How could he know in three seconds? And how could three little words carry such rejection?

"No, I'm not… exactly," Robin confessed. "It's a long story." Pulling out another bird-a-rang, he moved in behind John and went to work on his bindings. "But he is home and safe, I promise."

"Robin! Look out!" M'gann suddenly cried from above. Looking up, Robin saw a beam of light headed straight towards him and the two tied up men. He had just enough time to knock the chairs over, before the beam hit him square in the chest.


	14. Definition of Family

Warning: action scenes are not my forte- but they're sometimes necessary, so I muddle through.

* * *

><p>Wally watched in horror as the beam hit Robin, sending him flying through some crates before he smashed into the wall behind them. The boy wonder crumpled and fell to the floor like a rag doll.<p>

"No!"

Instantly, he zipped off the rafters and down the wall until he came to a stop at Robin's side.

At least it hadn't been a teleportation beam. At least Robin was still here and not in some other dimension or on the other side of the planet. It was cold comfort as Wally checked over his friend's still form.

"Who are you?" Margali cried. Wally looked over his shoulder to see Margali trying to hit M'gann with a force beam. Above her, Artemis shot an arrow, but Margali noticed in time and held out her hand. The arrow disintegrated in the air before it could reach her.

This was bad. Really bad. This woman had some serious skills. _Aqualad, Superboy, get in here!_ Wally practically yelled over their mental link. Suddenly, part of the back wall crumbled as Superboy broke through. A blast of water made Aqualad's entrance through the front. Great. If they kept this up, the whole building would fall down around them.

"Come on, Rob, get up!" Wally shook his friend frantically and was rewarded with a small groan. Slowly, Robin opened his eyes.

"What hit me?" He pushed himself up and gripped his chest. "Someone get the name of that train?"

"Yeah, the Margali express. You okay?"

Robin groaned. "I wi- Dad!" Instantly, Robin was on his feet. Leaping over the broken crates, he hurried to where Pop Haley and Dick's father were still on the ground, tied to their chairs. Wally raced over, knelt down and fiddled with the ropes binding Pop Haley.

"Are you all right, son?" the elder Grayson asked, looking over his shoulder at Robin, who was trying to free him. Robin froze and stared at him blankly. John cleared his throat. "That looked like it hurt."

"I'm fine," Robin assured him quickly. "We've got to get you out of here before this whole place comes down." As if to emphasize his point, the building groaned and a bunch of dust fell from the ceiling.

Wally glanced back to where Margali and the team were. The others were trying their best to get close to her, subdue her, but Margali was quick, throwing force beams every which way and keeping them from getting close.

"Who are all you young'uns?" Pop asked. Wally tugged at the bonds and they finally loosened. Pop grunted and slowly got to his feet. He gestured to Wally. "I think I recognize you and you-" he pointed to Robin- "you… who are you?"

"It's a long story," Wally answered before Robin had a chance. "We'll explain later. But Robin's right, we have to get you out of here, quick."

Beside him, Robin finally broke through the last bit of rope binding Grayson and helped the older man to his feet. "Is there any way we can stop her?" Robin asked the two circus men.

Pop shook his head. "I didn't even know she could do that. Mostly she just levitates things, reads the future… I had no idea…"

"Robin?" If Margali had been with the circus a long time, maybe Robin had known her in their dimension.

"She doesn't have a counter-part in our dimension," Robin answered as if reading his mind. "Or if she does, she's not from the circus. Now let's get Dad and Pop safe before she-"

"Before she stops you?" Margali cried. A blast of energy smashed into the wall beside them. Wally looked up to see Margali floating in the air, a bright yellow glow surrounding her. "Dickie-bird, you found your way back. There goes my leverage. Oh well, I guess I'll just to have to destroy you now." Robin stepped in front of Wally and the other two men and shifted into a fighting stance.

"Wally, get them out of here," Robin growled.

Wally nodded and grabbed Pop, throwing him over his shoulder. Man, that guy was heavy. Before anyone could blink, he raced outside and dropped Pop on the pavement. He raced back in, intent on grabbing Dick's dad but, suddenly, something grabbed his ankle and he was lifted into the air.

Wally looked up at his foot, but there was nothing there. He struggled and squirmed against the unseen hand holding him up, but it was useless. Below him, small fires burned throughout the building. This was not good, not good at all. This place was going to burn to the ground.

"Margali." John Grayson gently pushed in front of Robin. "Margali, this is nonsense," he said calmly. "We didn't want you to leave, but like Pop said, we can't have you doing things that would destroy the good name of the circus. If you promise to change, you can come back."

Margali scoffed. From the rafters, Artemis shot off another arrow. Margali just waved her hand, sending the arrow back to Artemis. The archer leapt off the rafter just as the arrow struck the beam and exploded. Superboy jumped up and caught her, only to be thrown through the wall by a force beam.

"Too late for that. I thought you were family. Family takes you as you are. Apparently, I was wrong." And with that, she shot a force beam towards John. Before it could hit, Robin tackled him to the ground. The beam smashed through a few crates, spraying wood chunks everywhere.

"You bet you were wrong," Robin sneered as he jumped back to his feet. "Family does love you the way you are, but-" Margali blasted another beam at him, but he easily dodged it. "But family helps you change. Family helps you become all you can be and all you should be. Family helps you change into your best possible self!"

Robin back-flipped and threw two bird-a-rangs at Margali. Margali held out her hand, causing the projectiles to explode before they reached her.

"Family will take you went your broken and dull and will glue you back together and shine you up," Robin continued.

"Are you trying to get a job with the Hallmark company, Dickie?" Margali yawned. "Because I might get a toothache form all this sweet sentiment."

"Toothache this!" Superboy roared as he sailed through the air behind Margali, fist stretched out. Margali whirled around and held her hands up, creating a force shield between her and Superboy.

"Aqualad!" Robin shouted. Aqualad took his cue and pulled out his water bearers, sending a blast of water towards Margali. It hit her and sent her tumbling through the air. Wally suddenly found himself free and he crashed into the ground.

"Ow," he mumbled to himself as he rubbed his face.

_Wally! Cyclone!_ Robin ordered over their mental link. Wally nodded and jumped to his feet. Then, he ran in a circle under where Margali had finally regained her bearings in the air. He ran faster and faster, creating a cyclone of spinning air.

"Stop!" Margali shouted and suddenly, Wally was knocked off his feet by a force beam crashing into the ground beside him. He sailed through the air and landed in a pile of crates.

"Ow again," he groaned.

Before the cyclone could completely die out, Aqualad shot more water at the sorceress while M'gann used her telekinesis to hurl a few crates. Robin tossed more bird-a-rangs which exploded just before they hit her. Wally jumped back into the fray and started up another mini-tornado. All the action served to overwhelm Margali so that she didn't have a chance to react when Superboy jumped up and slammed into her side, bringing her to the ground. The impact sent up a cloud of dust. Superboy backed out of it to join the rest of the group that had gathered together around Robin and John Grayson.

When the dust settled, Maragali was on the ground, breathing heavily. John stepped forward. "It's over, Margali," he said softly. "It's over. Stop."

Margali sniffed and looked down. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she said pathetically.

"It's all right," John continued as he came up to her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet.

Suddenly, Margali's hand curled into a fist. A yellow glow surrounded it. Beside him, Wally could feel Robin tense. "Dad! No!"

Robin's warning came too late. Margali's fist swung out, hitting John Grayson in the gut. The elder Grayson flew threw the air and landed with a thud at the team's feet. Robin was down at his side in an instant.

"No!" Robin grabbed him and shook him gently. John didn't move. "No, no, no, no, no!"

Wally crouched down and checked for a pulse. It was there, going strong. The hit probably hurt like hell, and he'd be in a lot of pain when he came to, but John Grayson was going to be fine. "He's okay, Robin. He's okay," Wally said, trying to reassure his friend.

Robin didn't seem to hear him. Instead, the youngest member of the team just held onto John, begging him to wake up.

Wally's eyes narrowed as he looked back to Margali who had a self-satisfied smirk. "This ends. Now." Before Margali could react, Wally had raced over and shoulder checked her. "Aqualad."

A burst of water hit Margali before she could recover and she flew through the wall. Wally raced through the hole she made, the others following as quickly as they could behind them.

_Miss Martian,_ Aqualad said over their link. _Get her in the air._ M'gann nodded as her eyes glowed green. Margali was lifted into the air. _I hope she can swim._ Another blast of water from Aqualad hit Margali, carrying her into the nearby river. There was a big splash and a flash of yellow light. Wally zipped to the edge of the river and put on his goggles, searching for her heat signature. He didn't find one.

Margali was gone.


	15. The Choice, The End

Robin stood back, feeling utterly exhausted, emotionally and physically.

After the team had defeated Margali- without him- they had come back to the warehouse. John had still been unconscious and Robin had still be freaking out- like some pathetic little amateur. The building was on fire and still, he hadn't moved. He hadn't done anything, even though staying there could've gotten him and his dad killed.

But having his dad on the ground, unconscious had immobilized him. He couldn't think. Couldn't move. He could only hold him, asking him to wake up, asking him not to be dead- again.

Wally had said something to him, but he couldn't hear. Finally, Superboy had picked up both him and his dad and had carried them out to where Pop Haley and Artemis were waiting.

Somehow, they had gotten back to the circus. Robin hadn't paid much attention to how. All he knew was that John had stayed unconscious the whole trip.

When they had arrived, Superboy had carried John over to a waiting ambulance stretcher. Dick and Mary had rushed over to be with him while Robin and the rest of the team stood back.

He was a jinx. That was all there was to it. Every reality he touched, his parents were in danger. Dad had nearly died tonight, all because of him. If not because he couldn't stop Margali, then because he couldn't get his act together enough to drag him out of a burning building.

They needed to go, now. Before something else happened that would destroy this version of his family.

Robin pulled out the device Batman had given him.

"Robin!"

Dick's voice stopped him before he could press the button. Robin looked up to where Dick, Mary and a now conscious John Grayson were gathered together. Dick waved him over but Robin didn't move. He couldn't go near them. He had to leave. He had to-

"Go," Wally said softly from behind him. Robin glanced over his shoulder to see Wally giving him a supportive smile. "You need to go."

Robin gulped and handed the device over to Wally with a shaky hand. Slowly, hesitantly, he made his way up to the Graysons. Immediately, Mary wrapped him into a warm hug.

"Thank-you," she whispered, her voice a little shaky from crying.

"Don't thank me," he mumbled. "I nearly got him killed. I-"

"Shh." He nearly melted when she started stroking his hair. He didn't deserve it, but it felt so wonderful to be held by her again, to smell her scent of lavender and gymnast chalk. Robin snuggled closer.

"I told them… about you…" Dick said quietly. "That you're me from another dimension and that they're…"

Robin felt tears sting his eyes and he pushed himself away from Mary. "It was my fault. I saw him. I should've said something. And now… I nearly got Dad-"

Suddenly, two firm hands grabbed him and turned him around. He found himself face to face with John Grayson. The older man looked serious. "You stop that right now, young man. This is not your fault. What happened in your world is not your fault. You brought Dick back to us and you saved me and Pop." John's expression softened. "You were very brave. I'm proud of you."

Robin fought the lump that was forming in his throat. He didn't deserve that. He was about to protest when John wrapped him into a hug. "Don't," John said.

Robin buried his face into John's shoulder. "I missed you," he sniffled. He felt Mary move in behind him, nestling him between her and John.

These weren't his real parents, he knew that. They were alternate versions of them. But it was so hard to make the distinction when they were holding him, loving him. He wished he could just stay there in this embrace forever.

"Stay with us," Dick said as if reading his thoughts. "We could be brothers. Twins!"

"Stay little robin," Mary echoed.

It was like a dream come true. They wanted him to stay. He could have his family again. He could do all the things that he was supposed to do. He could be a Flying Grayson again. But-

What 'but'? There was no but! How could he even think there could be a but when this was all he ever wanted.

John seemed to sense his sudden distress and pulled back slightly. "What is it?"

"Nothing!" Robin said quickly, pulling John back. "Nothing…"

"It's just that," Mary prompted.

Robin sighed. "This is everything I ever wanted. But…" How could he express this? If he stayed, it was like he was denying his real parents- the parents who had been ripped away from him so cruelly. What would they think about him exchanging them for living, breathing, alternate versions?

And what about Batman? Batman had taken him in when he was broken and hopeless. He had loved him, in his own weird way, and raised him up. He had given him a sense of purpose- a reason to keep living.

What about Alfred? He had become like a grandfather to him.

And the team? They were his family too.

"Robin," Mary said softly. "Your parents would want you to be happy. It's okay to build yourself another family." She turned him around and her blue eyes met his. "We would love for you to stay. But you need to do what your heart tells you. If you have a family back there, then it's okay to go to them."

Robin glanced over at his team. They were waiting- waiting for him to choose. Wally nodded slightly, as if giving permission to choose whatever he felt was right. They would let him stay, if he chose. They loved him enough to let him go.

Robin let out a small sigh. "Everything there… everything that happened, made me what I am now. I'm not the same as I once was, I'll never be the same."

"You told Margali that family helps you become the best you can be," John reminded. "That they love you the way you are, but work to build you up. I don't know what it's like in your world," he continued thoughtfully, "but I can see that you're a good young man. You must have people there that love you and want the best for you. Don't feel bad if you want to go back. Don't feel bad for staying."

"We'll love you too," Dick said, almost pleading. "I'll even share the spotlight with you."

Robin managed to laugh at that. "Thanks. But… I need to be where I belong." He hugged Mary tightly. "Thank-you."

"You're welcome," she replied, hugging him back. "Good luck."

"Be good," John added as he ruffled his hair. Robin hugged him before turning to Dick.

"You're leaving?" Dick said. Robin nodded. Dick made a face. "But…"

"Richard," Mary warned gently.

Dick sighed. "If you change your mind, we'll be waiting for you."

Robin gave him half a smile. "Thanks." They both stood awkwardly for a moment before Dick held out a fist. Robin grinned and bumped it with his own.

"See ya."

"Good-bye." Robin paused. He was going to leave. He had made his decision. So why couldn't he move?

Finally, he threw his arms around both his parents. "I love you."

"We love you too," they replied in unison.

Robin soaked in their warmth but then tore himself away and ran back to his team. "Robin," Wally started.

"Why aren't you-" Artemis began.

"Let's go," Robin said, cutting them all off. He grabbed the device in Wally's hand and pressed the button. A moment later, a portal of light appeared. Robin motioned for his team to go. They did. Robin took a moment to look back at the Graysons. Mary smiled softly, John nodded and Dick waved sadly.

Robin waved back and then stepped into the portal. An instant later, he was back at Mount Justice. The team was waiting for him, Zatara next to them. Batman was standing rigidly in the corner. When he saw Robin, he stiffened even more.

"Robin?" Robin nodded. Batman made a noise of disbelief. "You came back?"

"I came home," Robin corrected.

Before he knew what was happening, Robin found himself in Batman's crushing embrace. He was momentarily shocked by the display of emotion. "I thought… your family… you…"

Robin buried his face into Batman's Kevlar-plated chest. "You're my family, Bruce," he whispered. Batman rested his cheek on the top of Robin's head and held him tighter. Robin relished the closeness.

"And you're mine," Batman replied.

That darn lump in his throat was returning. "I…"

"Same."

Before this could get more mushy, both cleared there throats and pulled away from each other. Robin turned to his team mates. "You're all my family," he stated.

M'gann squealed in delight and led the charge as his team rushed forward and wrapped him into a group hug.

It wasn't the family he was supposed to have. It was a little broken and really dysfunctional. But they loved him and he loved them. And that was what family was all about.

The End

* * *

><p>Except not the end, actually. Stay tuned.<p> 


	16. Alternate Ending: A Different Choice

Wally strained to hear what they were saying to each other. The whole scene looked so tender and Robin… Robin looked like he was where he belonged. Wally felt his heart jump into his throat. They were going to lose him. He could tell. Robin had a chance to stay, to be with his family. Who wouldn't take that chance? And what kind of a friend would he be if he didn't let him?

From where he was wrapped in his parents' embrace, Robin looked over at him. Wally nodded slightly. Stay, his mind practically screamed. Stay here! You'll have what you were always supposed to have. Even as he thought that, his eyes stung. He was going to lose his best friend.

Slowly, Robin pulled himself away from his family and came up to the team. Was he coming back with them? He couldn't!

"Robin," Wally began. He didn't get a chance to say anything else because Robin had pulled him into a hug.

"Wally… I…"

"You're staying," Wally said. It wasn't a question. There was no question about it.

Robin nodded into his shoulder. "You mad?"

"No!" Wally cried. "Are you kidding? Robin, this is your chance to have everything you ever wanted! This is your chance to have your family back."

"Robin, of course we're not mad," Artemis echoed. "We love you. We want you to be happy."

Robin let go of Wally and faced the rest of the team. Each came up to hug him, wishing him well and good luck.

"Thanks guys," Robin said quietly. He fidgeted nervously. "Would you tell Batman that…"

Aqualad rested his hand on Robin's shoulder. "He knows. He wants you to be happy too."

"Well, I guess…"

"I guess this is good-bye," Wally finished for Robin. "Think you'll be able to keep from jumping off buildings and beating up bad guys here?"

Robin gave a shaky smile. "I think I'll manage to adjust to the spotlight just fine."

"Maybe you'll even meet his dimension's Kid Flash. I bet he's pretty cool."

"No doubt. But he'll never replace you. You'll always be my best friend. Thanks for everything."

Wally ducked his head. "You're welcome. Well… good-bye." Slowly, he pulled out the device that would send them home. This was it. They were leaving. They were leaving Robin.

Robin nodded and took a step back. "Good luck," he said.

"Back at you," Wally said as he pressed the button. A portal of light opened and the team stepped into it. Wally lingered for a moment, looking from Robin to his family and reminded himself that this was all for the best. For Robin's best. "Come back and visit, huh?"

"You bet."

Wally nodded and stepped back into the portal.

Instantly, he was back at Mount Justice. The rest of the team was standing by Zatara, waiting for him. Batman stood rigidly in the corner. Robin's mentor looked at the portal as if waiting even though the others must've told him that Robin was staying.

Finally, Batman sighed. "Close the portal Zatara," he said. While Batman's voice always sounded devoid of emotion, right now, it sounded positively lifeless. "I expect a debriefing in one hour." And with that, the Batman was gone.


	17. Alternate Ending: Lies for the Future

The last bit! Note, this version is slightly different than the one posted on Live Journal as it will fit in better with the sequel I'm planning for it (which was just in the beginning stages of thought when I first posted this)

* * *

><p>That was it. Robin felt a little heavier. He had given up the world he knew for something else. Something new, yet old. Something foreign, yet vaguely familiar.<p>

"So, what are we gonna call you?" Dick asked, coming up behind him. "We can't both be Dick."

"Robin works for me, I guess," Robin replied, turning to face the Graysons- his family. Slowly he peeled off his mask. He wouldn't be needed it anymore.

Mary's- Mom's- face lit up at seeing his bright blue eyes as if it were the final confirmation that he was her son. "Welcome home, Robin," she said, pulling him into another hug.

Hugs. This was something he would have to get use to. He remembered getting them all the time as a kid. But in the last five years he could count the number of hugs Bruce had given him on one hand.

Still, there were worse things to get use to.

"Hey! Up in the sky!" Dick suddenly cried, pointing upwards. Robin half-turned, still staying in his mother's embrace and followed Dick's finger.

"Superman," he whispered. Great.

The blue and red clad alien touched down in the midst the of the circus ground and took a moment to survey the area. "What's going on here?" he asked, grabbing a passing policeman. The policeman simply pointed to Robin and his family. Superman arched an eyebrow before striding towards them. "Good evening. What seems to be the problem here?"

John-Dad, Robin reminded himself- stepped in front of his family. "We had a little bit of trouble with one of our performers here. But it's all taken care of now."

Superman cast him a doubtful look. "There wasn't anything unusual going on here?" he pressed.

Dad shook his head. "Nothing unusual. Sorry to bother you, Superman."

"I'm afraid that's not going to cut it," a dark voice said from behind him. Robin winced. He recognized that voice. It was the voice that lurked in shadows and made criminals quake in fear.

Batman.

Slowly, the Graysons turned to see Batman stepping out of a shadow. "Something happened here. Energy readings indicate some sort of portal. Several portals, in fact. Not to mention someone accessed restricted files from the Justice League computers. Tell me what happened. Now."

Dad flinched at the tone and took half a step back. "The performer, Margali, is a sorceress. She opened the portal. She's gone now," he explained evenly. Robin felt a surge of pride- Batman had intimidated him, but at least Dad hadn't turned into a tower of jell-o.

"That doesn't explain the hacking," Batman growled. Robin felt his skin crawl. This Batman seemed so unlike his own. Colder, harsher. It wasn't necessarily what he was saying- this was on par for his Batman- it was just the tone, the way he moved, the way he glared. "It originated from here. And it was used to analyze the energy signature of this Margali's teleport."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Dad said truthfully.

Robin winced. Batman wasn't going to stop until he got the answers he wanted. If his Batman wasn't above literally knocking sense and co-operation into people- which he wasn't- this one certainly wasn't.

"It was those people from the alternate dimension," Robin said, ducking out of Mom's embrace to face Batman.

"Robin, no," Mom squeaked.

Batman glared at him. "Explain. What alternate dimension?"

Robin thought quickly to formulate his lie. Or half-truth. "Margali, she transported my brother and me to another dimension. The Justice League there helped us get back. They came with us to stop Margali and, in order to find her, hacked into the Watchtower… or whatever you call it."

Even though it was almost the truth, Robin felt the guilt gnaw away inside him. He was lying to Batman. He never lied to Batman! True, this was not his Batman. This was not his surrogate father, but it still pained him all the same. But it would pain him more to be ripped away from his family.

Robin kept all his emotions out of his expression and his voice, hoping Batman would buy it.

Batman didn't look convinced. Superman, however, nodded along as Robin explained. "We've had cross dimensional mishaps before," he pointed out amiably.

Batman glared at the alien and then back at Robin. "If you're hiding something, I will find out."

And he would. Batman always found out what he wanted to know. Maybe he should tell him the whole truth. Maybe he should-

"That's all there is to it," Dad said, pulling Robin back. "I'm sorry we can't give you any more information, but the other Justice League heroes went back to their dimension. You have no other reason to be concerned."

Batman grunted. "Fine." And with that, he melted back into the shadows. Robin watched him go with a pang of guilt and a sense of longing. He quickly shook it out of his mind.

Superman rocked back and forth on his heels. "Well, glad everything turned out all right for you folks. You take care now." And with that, Superman flew off.

Dad let out a long sigh of relief. "That… is one scary man." He looked down at Robin and arched an eyebrow. "You were his partner?" Robin just nodded, a tiny smile tugging at his lips. "Huh. Well, he can't be all bad seeing how well you turned out."

Robin laughed. "I don't think my Batman is as bad. He had me to soften him up, after all."

Mom laughed with him. "I guess there's a lot to learn about you Robin but one thing's for sure- you have the Grayson charm. Now we've had a long day. Why don't we get a snack and put you boys to bed."

Robin grabbed his mother's hand as they walked towards their trailer. "Will you tuck me in?" he asked shyly. It was a silly question- he was thirteen for crying out loud!. But it had been so long and it would be so wonderful.

"Every night," Mom assured him.

Robin grinned. Yes, this world was going to be different than the one he had grown use to over the last five years. But he was definitely where he belonged.

He was home.

The End, Again.

* * *

><p>For now, anyway. I'm planning an epic sequel. For those who stay tuned in for it, this Alternate Reality will be referred to as Earth 4077. Why? Well, first off, I don't think an Earth 4077 exists in the DC universe so it's okay for me to totally make it up. Second, 4077, like my name Tuttle, references the TV show MASH which is one of my favorites ever. And third... I'm the writer- I can do what I want... as long as it stays true to the show and the characters.<p>

THANKS FOR READING!

Until next time,

Tuttle


	18. In Its Place

Howdy.

So, the other day, I started work on the sequel to "The Flying Grayson" and I had every intention of posting it today. And before I could, I got a review on this story that suggested I post a note here to let y'all know when it's up. And I thought that was a pretty good idea. So, here it is:

Attention! The first chapter of "In Its Place", the sequel to "The Flying Grayson" has been posted.

Unlike its predecessor, this new story is a work in progress so I can't guarantee how quickly it will be updated. I can say I'm pretty excited about it and I hope y'all enjoy it!

Thanks,

Tuttle


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